Underwater vehicle or sled



July 22, 1958 R. L. GROOTVELD UNDERWATER VEHICLE OR SLED Filed Aug. 7, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l cfial'd ,2; 6 1 00 3 l d INVENTOR ATTORNEYS July 22, 1958 R. L. GROOTVELD UNDERWATER VEHICLE 0R SLED 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 7, 1956 R 48 m m m R O w w m e 01 Z m v B United States Patent UNDERWATER VEHICLE on SLED Application August 7, 1956, Serial No. 602,603

1 Claim. (Cl. 9-21) This invention relates to an underwater vehicle or sled. An object of this invention is to provide a sled which is designed to be towed behind a boat or other draft means, and which is occupied preferably by one person.

Another object of this invention is to provide a sled for movement through the water which includes means whereby the occupant of the sled may manipulate the sled movements independent of the towing boat, so that the sled may dive down, swing on an arc in either direction, or may rise upwardly to the surface of the water and move along the Water surface after the manner of a water ski.

A further object of this invention is to provide a sled having a pair of runners with a central fin at the forward end thereof and a pair of side or laterally disposed fins with a common adjusting lever.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an underwater sled constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the sled.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a partly exploded view and partly in side elevation of the sled.

Fig. 5 is a detail rear elevation of the sled.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 6--6 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates generally a frame structure which is formed of a pair of parallel side members 11 which are of tubular construction and are closed at each end by means of an end wall 13. Each side member 11 has secured to the lower side thereof a runner 12 which is formed with upturned front and rear ends 15 and 16. The runners 12 are braced between the ends thereof by means of vertically disposed bracing bars 17 which are connected between the side bars 11 and the horizontal intermediate portions of the runners 12. The side bars 11 are connected together by means of a plurality of connecting bars 18 which are welded or otherwise fixedly secured between the side members 11.

A shaft 19 is secured transversely of the forward ends of the side members 11, being secured at the lower sides thereof by means of clamping members 20. The shaft 19 at each end thereof projects laterally of the frame 10, the purpose for which will be hereinafter described. A diving fin or blade 21 is rockably mounted on the shaft 19 between the side members 11, being secured to the shaft 19 by means of bearing members 22. The diving fin or blade 21 is hollow, as indicated at 23, with the major portion of the hollowed out fin 21 being disposed forwardly of the shaft 19. The formation of the fin 21 as a hollow member provides .a means whereby the fin 21 will have a normal tendency to swing upwardly at its forward end so that if the fin adjusting lever, to be hereinafter described, is released by the operator, the fin 21 will have a normal tendency to rise upwardly at its forward end to a surfacing position. The fin 21 has secured to the lower side thereof a pair of downwardly converging bars 24 which terminate in a ball socket 25. A fin adjusting lever 26 is disposed between the side members 11 and is mounted for substantially universal adjustment by means of a fork generally indicated at 27. The fork 27 includes a shank 28 which is rockably mounted in a bearing 29 carried by a transverse supporting bar 30 which is secured between the side members 11. The lever 26 is pivotally mounted between the arms 31 of the fork 27 by means of a pivot bolt 32. The lower end of the lever 26 is formed with a ball socket 33 in which a ball carried by a connecting link 34 rock ably engages. The connecting link 34 is also formed with a ball at its forward end engaging in the socket 25. The shaft 19 also has rockably mounted thereon a pair of banking or steering fins 35 and 36. These fins 35 and 36 are secured to the laterally projecting ends of the shaft 19 by means of bearing members 37 and 38, respectively. The upper side of fin 35 has secured thereto adjacent the inner edge a triangular plate 39 and the lower side of fin 35 has secured thereto a triangular plate 40. A flexible fin adjusting member 41 is secured at one end as at 42 to the apex of plate 39 and. the other end of the flexible member 41 is connected tothe lever 26 with a flexible member tensioning spring 43 connected between the inner end of flexible member 41 and the lever 26. The flexible member 41 engages about a grooved pulley 44 which is rotatably carried by a sup porting bar 45 fixed to and extending upwardly from the adjacent side member 11. A lower flexible member 46 is connected as at 47 to the apex of the triangular plate 40 and the flexible member 46 is connected as at 48 to the lower portion of lever 26. Flexible member 46 engages about a grooved pulley 49 which is rotatably carried by an extension bar 50 which extends downwardly from bar 45.

Pin 36 is angularly adjusted at an angle opposite from the adjustment of fin 35. This adjustment of fin 36 is accomplished by means of a triangular plate 51 which is fixed to the outer side of fin 36 adjacent the inner edge thereof. A flexible member 52 is connected to the apex or upper end of plate 51 and is connected at its inner end as at 53 to the lever 26. Flexible member 52 is trained about a grooved pulley 54 rotatably carried by a vertically disposed bar 55 fixed to the adjacent side member 11. The lower triangular plate 56 is secured to the lower side of fin 36 and one end of a lower flexible member 57 is connected to the apex of plate 56 A flexible member tensioning spring 58 is connected at one end to the inner end of flexible member 57 and is connected at the other end thereof as at 59 to the lower portion of lever 26. Flexible member 57 is trained about a lower pulley 60 which is rotatably carried by an extension 61 which projects downwardly from bar 55. The frame 10 has fixedly secured transversely thereof and adjacent the rear shaft 62 which is secured to the side members 11 by means of clamps 63. The shaft 62 projects laterally of the side members 11 and a leveling fin 64 is secured by clamp ing members 65 to the laterally projecting ends of the shaft 62. These fins 64 are adapted to be initially adjusted so as to provide for the lever movement of the sled within the water.

The connecting bars 18 have secured to the upper side thereof spaced parallel slats 66 which may be formed of wood or the like. These slats provide a platform or rest on which the user of the sled is adapted to lie. In order to provide a means whereby the feet and legs of the user will be held against upward movement relative to the platform or top of the sled there is provided a U-shaped leg engaging member 67 which is formed with a pair of forwardly projecting arms 68 adjustably engageable in a pair of tubular sockets 69. The sockets 69 are secured to the inner sides of the side bars 11 and the arms 68 are adjusted endwise in the sockets 69 by means of set screw 70.

The frame has mounted at the forward end thereof a windshield structure which comprises a plate 71 which may be of transparent material and the plate 71 is secured to the forward side of a pair of upwardly converging supporting bars 72 and 73. The bars 72 and 73 are secured at their lower ends to ears 74 and 75, respective ly, by means of bolts 76 and 77. The ears 74 are secured to and project upwardly from the side members 11. A downwardly and rearwardly inclined bracing bar 78 is connected between the upwardly converging bars 72 and 73.

The frame 10 is adapted to be towed by means of a bolt or the like and the frame 10 has extending from the forward end thereof a pair of flexible tow members 79 which are secured as at 80 at their rear ends to the shaft In the use and operation of this sled the draft members 79 are connected to a boat or the like so that the sled will be towed through the water. The person using the sled will lie down on the slats 66 with his legs projecting underneath the bight 81 of the U-shaped member 67. The sled upon movement through the water may be inclined downwardly to a diving position moving the lever 26 forwardly. The lever 26 has a gripping member 82 at its upper end whereby the lever may be firmly gripped in at least one hand. As fin 21 is inclined downwardly at its forward end the sled will move downwardly in the water. At this time the steering or banking fins will be in a substantially horizontal position. When the sled is to be turned the lever 26 is swung laterally on the desired direction. This lateral swinging of lever 26 will cause one of the fins, as for example, fin 35, to swing upwardly at its forward end and simultaneously the other fin 36 will swing downwardly at its forward end. This .4. reverse adjustment of fins 35 and 36 will cause a pulling of the sled so that the sled can readily be drawn under the action of the two members 79. t

The sled hereinbefore described is adapted to be formed out of tubular material, such as aluminum or the like with the ends of the tubes sealed in order that the sled will have substantial buoyancy.

What is claimed is:

An underwater sled comprising a frame formed of a pair of parallel tubular side members closed at each end, a tubular runner extending downwardly from each side member, connecting bars secured betweeen said side members, a diving fin rockably carried by the forward end of said frame between said parallel tubular side members, banking fins carried by the forward end of said frame on opposite sides exteriorly of said side members, a transversely extending shaft forming a common pivot for said diving fin and said banking fins, a rock lever, means mounting said lever for substantially universal rocking movement, means connecting said lever with said diving fin whereby forward and backward movement of said lever selectively tilts said diving fin downwardly and upwardly, additional means connecting said lever with said banking fins, whereby lateral tilting of said lever rocks both said banking fins, one banking fin rocking reversely from the other banking fin, an inverted U-shaped leg confining member at the rear of the frame, means a'djustably securing said leg confining member to said frame, and a pair of levelling fins fixed to opposite sides of the rear ends of said side members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Popular Mechanics, vol. 106, No. 1, July 1956, 113 relied on.-

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